


Unknown Darkness

by thefanficwriter



Category: tom holland - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Reader-Insert, Smut, mob!tom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-23 03:21:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14926137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefanficwriter/pseuds/thefanficwriter
Summary: Y/N was just trying to get by. She made good tips as a waitress at the strip club, and her manager gave her plenty of hours. She minded her own business and tried to ignore the illegal activities she knew the club was connected to simply because of who owned it. Despite keeping her head down, Y/N caught the attention Tom. Not only was he the owner of the club, he was also one of the most powerful men in London; the leader of the mob. She certainly didn’t ask for his attention, but now she has it, and the power that comes with it may cloud of the purity of her life forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m really excited for this series. Please let me know what you think!

 

He couldn’t have known when he met her how important she would become to him, how much she would change his life, or how she could bring it all crashing down.

Helpless.

That’s how he felt right now. The girl he loved was bleeding out on the floor and he couldn’t do a damn thing. Invisible hands pulled Tom out of the room. He didn’t have the energy to fight them anymore. “Come on, man. You have to let them help her,” Harry said, holding onto his brother’s shoulders.

Tom collapsed forward, letting his brother’s arms encase him. “I can’t lose her. I just can’t lose her.”

This was everything he was afraid of. He didn’t expect it to be this way, it _couldn’t_ be this way, not after everything they’d been through. If he had known that introducing her to this life would condemn her to this, he never would have gripped her hand and pulled her in.

* * *

 

Saturdays were always busy. Lots of people, mostly men, trying to relax or celebrating bachelor parties, birthdays, promotions, you name it. Y/N appreciated the chaos. It made her shift fly by and she didn’t have to focus on the fact that the men she was flirting with were disgusting. Their eyes lingered on her body for too long, but the more she played along, the more money she made in tips.

Saturdays were also a big night for business to be conducted by the man who owned the strip club: Tom Holland. He and his cohorts could work out deals at a table near the back without garnering suspicion due to all the activity surrounding them. Y/N wasn't stupid; she knew who she worked for and what he did. She certainly wasn’t happy about working for one of the biggest crime bosses in England, but it paid the bills. And she was lucky to get hired as a waitress, her other option was to work the pole. While she had respect for the girls that did that, she was much more comfortable serving drinks and wearing clothes. Either way, all the people who worked at the club were compensated well for their discretion. It was a good gig.

It was Y/N’s third shift that she had first seen Tom. She wasn’t totally aware of the ins and outs of Tom’s business yet, but she could tell he was trouble. He sat at the table furthest from the door and donned a black suit sans the tie. His jacket was draped over the back of the booth and the top few buttons of his shirt were undone. Arms stretched out to either side, he gave off an aura of power, letting everybody know not to fuck with him.

“Who’s that guy?” Y/N had asked Lauren behind the bar.

Lauren followed Y/N’s gaze to Tom at the other end of the club. “That’s Tom. He owns the place. He also,” Lauren pulled Y/N close, speaking quietly into her ear, “is the leader of the mob. But you didn’t hear that from me.”

Eyes growing wide, Y/N looked back at the man. “Are you for real?” Lauren nodded. “That’s crazy.”

Lauren just nodded again and turned away, continuing to get drinks ready.

She never interacted with him after that and she would have preferred not to, but tonight that was going to change. Jasmine called in sick and Rob, Y/N’s manager, asked her to cover Jasmine’s tables. That included Tom’s.

She couldn’t say no; Rob had already called all the other waitresses and nobody was available to cover. So she did it, hoping that maybe Tom wouldn’t come in that night.

It was so busy that Y/N didn’t even have time to worry about Tom, but her eyes kept drifting to the empty table across from the bar. She was getting drinks ready when he finally walked in followed by 3 other men. Y/N’s heart started to race. “Lauren,” she whispered, tugging on her friend’s hand, “he’s here. What do I do? Do I wait on him like he’s a normal customer?”

Lauren gave her a sympathetic look. “Don’t freak out, Y/N. Just say ‘hello,’ ask what he wants to drink, and maybe call him ‘sir.’ I don’t exactly know what to tell you, I’ve never done it before. But I wouldn’t keep him waiting too long.” She pushed Y/N in his direction.

“Okay,” she breathed to herself as she walked across the club. Plastering a smile onto her face, she approached the table. “Hello, sir. What can I get for you and your friends tonight?”

Tom and the rest of the table looked up. His eyes pierced through hers. They were so dark and intense against the fairness of his skin. “You aren’t Jasmine.” He said with a smile.

“Uh, no I’m not.” She couldn’t help but let out an uncomfortable laugh. “My name is Y/N, I’m covering for Jasmine tonight.”

His eyes traced up and down her body and she suddenly felt very exposed, even more so than usual. She wore black skinny jeans, heels, and a rather revealing top, but under Tom’s burning gaze she felt naked. “Why haven’t I seen you around before?”

“I’ve only been here a few months. Maybe that could be it.” She smiled gently, trying to absolve some of the tension that had been growing in the air. Here merely smirked back. “So, about those drinks?”

“Let’s get a round of whiskies for the table.” His eyes never left hers.

“Coming right up.” Her mouth had turned dry. She turned and swiftly made her way back to the bar.

“How’s it going?” Lauren asked.

“It’s going fine, but he’s….intense. Does Jasmine ever talk about that?”

Lauren shrugged. “She’s never mentioned it.”

_Interesting_ , Y/N thought as she put the whiskies on a tray and went back to the table. “Here you go, sir.” She said, setting the drinks down.

Tom gave her that look again. “Thank you, Y/N.” He emphasized her name.

The rest of the night continued without incident, but Y/N’s eyes kept being drawn to the intriguing man who always seemed to be staring right at her. He upheld the same

intensity every time she spoke to him throughout the night. Things were finally winding down at the end of the night and Y/N was wiping the bar down when a hand gently gripped her wrist and she felt someone standing behind her. “Thank you for the service, sweetheart,” a husky voice whispered into her ear, sending chills down her back. Tom pushed a crumpled bill into her hand before exiting the club, sending her a wink over his shoulder.

Unclenching her fist, Y/N looked at the bill in her hand. It was a hundred. “Is this for his drinks?” She asked aloud. “This is way too much.”

Lauren peeked over her shoulder. “No, Tom doesn’t pay for drinks here. That’s all for you girl. I knew he was a good tipper, but I don’t he’s ever given Jasmine that much.”

“What?” Y/N whispered feverishly, “This is all for me?” Lauren nodded. “Jesus, why would he give me so much?”

Lauren shrugged. “Because he can? Or maybe he likes you,” she teased.

“Right, because I want to get involved with a mob boss.” Y/N laughed.

“Fair point.” Lauren replied. “Now, help me with these dishes before Rob has our asses.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Y/N grabbed a pile of plates and headed towards the kitchen, letting her mind wander to a handsome man with unfathomable power whispering in her ear.


	2. Chapter 2

 

It was Tuesday, so why the hell was he here? With the way Tom swaggered in, one would think that this was normal. But there were no big crowds to hide his table tonight, and his entrance drew all eyes in the club to him and his entourage. They sauntered to their usual table near the back and Jasmine went to greet them. 

The conversation was short, but Jasmine turned around and looked at Y/N who was staring intently at her from behind the bar. Jasmine looked back at Tom who smiled at her politely before nodding and turning his gaze to Y/N. Heat rose to her cheeks as Jasmine spun around and walked back to the bar. “He says he want you to serve him,” she muttered. 

“What? But that’s not my section tonight.”    


Jasmine laughed and shook her head. “Not just tonight, honey. He says he wants you to serve him  _ every _ night. I can’t believe you’re stealing my best tipper.”

“Believe me, I would rather not,” she groaned. Her eyes flicked over to the table. Tom was already looking at her. He stretched his hand forward and curled his index finger in, making a ‘come here’ motion. Y/N’s breath caught in her throat and she couldn’t help but stand up straighter under his gaze. 

“You’d better get going,” Jasmine said quietly, turning away. 

Y/N lifted her head up higher, feigning confidence as she strolled over to the table. “Hello, sir.”  She put on a smile despite how unhappy she was about the entire situation. He was dangerous, sure, but that’s not why she didn’t like it. There was something about him that was too intense to be innocent, almost like he saw right through her. 

“Good to see you, darling.” His eyes met hers. There was that stare again. “You look nice.”

She kept her face even, trying not to give anything away about the effect he had on her. “Thank you, sir.” Two other men sat next to Tom: one with perfectly quaffed blonde hair, the other with shorter brown hair that looked to be Tom’s brother. “So, what can I get for you guys?”

“We’ll have the usual.” Tom smirked up at her. 

“And what would that be?” She raised an eyebrow at him. Did he think she was stupid? She saw through this silly game, and she knew that he was trying to keep her there longer than she needed to be. 

“Scotch, neat.” 

The smile she gave him was sickeningly sweet. “Of course, sir.” While walking back to the bar, she couldn’t help but let her smile fall and shook her head gently as Lauren and Jasmine stared at her with wide eyes. 

“What’s his deal?” She mumbled quietly towards Jasmine as she got the drinks ready. 

“What do you mean?” Jasmine replied, stealing a quick glance of Tom as she cleaned glasses. “He’s looking at you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Y/N sighed, “and that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Is he always so....intense? I don’t know how else to even describe it. The way he looks at me, it’s like-”

“Like he wants to eat you alive?” Lauren cut in. “We were just talking about that while you were over there. I was just joking the other day when I said he liked you, but now…”

A groan escaped Y/N’s lips as she set the drinks on a tray. “Well, I don’t like it.”

“Are you sure?” Jasmine giggled. “Because you looked pretty into it.”

Y/N’s cheeks flushed and she turned around, annoyed with Jasmine for her comment. But was Jasmine really wrong?  _ He is cute _ , Y/N thought,  _ but I don’t think I should get involved. He’s a killer. _ The thought made Y/N’s heart sink.  _ Oh my god, he’s probably killed people before. You can’t do this. _ With a sigh, Y/N took the last few steps towards the table. “Here you go.” She set the drinks down, all amusement gone from her voice. 

Tom leaned back in the booth, bringing the drink to his lips. “Thank you, darling.” She simply nodded in response and turned away. 

No matter what anybody did, Y/N’s mood remained the same. She couldn’t help but chastise herself for relishing in the affections of a killer, but she couldn’t help herself. Whenever she was at his table, she was sure to keep her emotions in check, but when she caught Tom stealing glances of her, she couldn’t stop the warmth that made its way to her cheeks. 

“What is it about her?” Harrison asked, taking a sip of his drink. 

Tom shook his head, a slight smirk spreading across his lips. “I don’t know, mate. Something about her just… caught my attention.”

Harry snorted. “What sort of love at first sight bullshit is that?”

Tom glared at his brother. “I never said anything about love at first sight. I don’t know what it is, I just find her intriguing is all.”

“By ‘intriguing,’ do you mean you want to fuck her?” Harry continued to push. 

Tom rolled his eyes. “No. That’s really not what I mean.” Tom stood and the others followed in suit. “Go to the car, I have to take care of something.”

“Right,” Harrison mumbled to Harry, “something.”

Tom shot Harrison a look before turning towards the bar, walking up to Y/N who was turned around, making drinks. He pulled out his wallet, shuffling through the bills until he found a hundred. Folding it in half, he laid it in the palm of his hand before coming up behind Y/N, gently putting his hand against hers. She stiffened at the contact. “Thank you again, love.” He whispered huskily while slipping the money into her hand. 

Y/N spun around after he let go of her hand. Watching him walk out the door, she didn’t know if she felt relief or… something else. Longingness maybe?  _ It doesn’t matter. Maybe now that he’s gone I can finally get some work done.  _ She tried to put her thoughts aside and focus on work, but Tom kept slipping back in. She thought of his hand on hers, the way he looked into her eyes, how he made her heart race. 

The other girls took notice. It was after the club had closed and the girls were in the back when they got to talking. Even the dancers had noticed where Tom’s attentions had been. 

“God, he’s so hot.” Sarah said, peeling her pasties off. “I would jump on that, girl.”

Jasmine let out a laugh from the other side of the room. “Are you kidding me? You’d get with the leader of the fucking mob? You’ve got bigger balls than me.”

“I’m just saying, he’s probably a good fuck.”

Raquel interjected, “Don’t you think he’s dangerous?” 

All the girls started shouting their opinions about Tom and whether or not they would hook up with him. Y/N rested her head on in her hands and let out a loud groan, silencing the others. 

Lauren kneeled down in front of Y/N. “Honey, look at me.” She took Y/N’s hands in her own as Y/N gazed up. “Do you really think that this could be something? That there’s something there?”

Y/N let out an uncomfortable laugh. “I don’t know. Maybe. There’s definitely something there.” She directed her gaze to Sarah. “Something more than a fuck. But I’m…” She let out a sigh and looked down again, “afraid.”

Jasmine crossed the room, resting her hand on Y/N’s shoulder. “Listen, I don’t  _ really _ know Tom, but I’ve been his server for a while, and I don’t think you have anything to be nervous about. He wouldn’t ever hurt you; he’s got class, you know?”

With a quick nod, Y/N stood up. “Thanks for the advice, guys, but I have to think about this some more.” She grabbed her purse from her locker. “I’ll see you on Thursday.” The girls called out their goodbyes as Y/N clocked out and headed outside. Jasmine’s words rang through her head.  _ ‘He wouldn’t ever hurt you.’ _ The thought only comforted her a little. Jasmine had meant it literally, of course. But Y/N wasn’t worried about that, not really. There are more ways to hurt someone than to inflict physical pain and there’s more that Y/N was afraid of when it came to Tom and what he did to her. 

* * *

 

Wednesday came and went with flurry of worries and guilt for Y/N. She didn’t know what to do about Tom. One part of her hoped that he wouldn’t come in anymore and the situation would work itself out, another part wanted the opposite entirely. She saw what lay beneath his eyes and wanted desperately to explore all of it, to explore all of him. But that came with guilt. How can one justify the feelings they have for someone with the horrible things they’ve done?

By the time Thursday came around, she was tired of the headache that came with thinking about it, so when she saw Tom already sitting at his table when she walked when, she couldn’t help but let out a frustrated sigh. “How long has he been here?” Y/N grumbled.

Lauren didn’t even look up from the drinks she was making to see where Y/N was looking. “He got here just a few minutes before you did. Jasmine went to take his order but he said he would wait for you to get here.”

Y/N’s eyes shot towards Lauren. “Wait for me to get here? Did he know I was coming?”  

“I guess so,” Lauren shrugged. “He wasn’t here yesterday. I think he asked Rob for your schedule.”

“What?” She exclaimed, a little bit louder than she had intended. She lowered her voice, leaning over the bar. “Did you ask Rob about it?”

Lauren scoffed, “Like he would tell me. Did you decide what you’re gonna do about Tom?” 

“I…” Y/N took a breath, “don’t know yet. I think I’m gonna see how this plays out with him. At least for a little while, see where it goes.”

“I think that’s okay.” Lauren nodded slowly. “Just be careful, no matter what, alright?”

Y/N smiled and nodded back at her. “You know I will be.”

“Well,” Lauren’s eyes flicked over Y/N’s shoulder, “I would go talk to your man; he’s looking this way.”

Y/N’s cheeks turned bright red at Tom being referred to as ‘her man,’ and she turned away quickly, giving herself a few seconds to collect herself before walking towards the table that was becoming all too familiar.  

Tom was watching Y/N intently as she strode over to him and Harrison. He couldn’t help licking his lips as he watched the way her hips swayed back and forth as she walked. She gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she finished the trek from the bar. “Hello, love,” he said, looking up at her.

Y/N blushed at the name. “Hello, sir.”

“Please, darling, just call me Tom.” He winked at her. 

“Okay, Tom,” she gulped, “what can I get for you?”

“The usual.” He smirked.

“Scotch, neat?” She repeated the order from the other day. 

“That’s the one.” His smile was blinding. 

Y/N quickly went and got the order ready, ignoring the sly looks she got from the other girls. The night continued as the others had: Y/N bringing Tom drinks while they stole coy looks of each other in between orders. At the end of the night, he gave her another outrageous tip and left while her mind went crazy. This continued in the same manner for several more shifts until one day Tom showed up unaccompanied. He showed up slightly before Y/N and sat in the same booth as always. 

Y/N was surprised to see him alone when she started her shift. When she gave Lauren a quizzical look, all she got back was a shrug and a slight smile. She was cautious approaching the table, unable to ignore the tension in the room.    
“Hello, Tom. No friends tonight?” She asked. 

He gave her a smug look. “No, darling, not tonight. Listen, I wanted to ask something of you.”

“Sure, what is it?” Her heart started beating so fast she thought it would burst out of her chest but she kept a cool façade.  

“I don’t want you to serve me tonight.”

“Oh,” Y/N nodded, slightly disappointed. “Well, that’s fine I can get Jasmine over here to-”

“No, no, no, darling,” he cut her off, “you misunderstand. I want you to sit and have a drink with me.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh.” She felt the heat rise into her cheeks again. “Um, well, I would, but I have other tables that I have to wait on and-”

“Please, love, don’t worry about that. I’ve already talked to the other girls; they’ll cover for you.” He noticed the apprehension in her eyes as she looked around at her tables, and he gently took her hand in his, drawing her attention back to him. “Please, darling.” His eyes were kind. Surely these couldn’t be the eyes of a vicious mob boss. 

She nodded slightly and Tom broke into a grin, making room for Y/N to slide in next to him in the booth. This felt strange, sitting next to him instead of standing above him.  _ We’re so close _ , she thought. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him as he rested his arm on the booth behind her. Jasmine approached the table, notepad in hand.

“Hey, Tom. What can I get for you? The usual?” She asked, giving Y/N a knowing look. 

“Of course.” He smiled at her. 

“What about for you Y/N?” She looked down at her coworker. 

“Oh, um,” Y/N realized that she had never actually had a drink at the club. “Surprise me. Just make it something sweet.” She lowered her voice so only Jasmine could hear. “And strong.”

Jasmine gave Y/N an understanding smile before leaving to make the drinks. She returned quickly and Y/N stirred the cocktail slowly with the straw, happy to use it as an opportunity to break away from the intense way Tom was staring at her. They sat in silence for a moment, Y/N too uncomfortable to speak while Tom was simply enjoying the view. 

Finally, Y/N broke the silence. “I don’t know how you can drink that stuff.” She pointed to the whiskey sitting in front of Tom. 

“What, you mean you don’t like this?” A sly grin spread across his features as he raised the glass to his lips. 

“No, it’s disgusting.” She shook her head playfully. 

“Well, you should have a sip.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Trust me, darling, this is much better than any whiskey you’ve had before.” He slide the glass towards her and she eyed it cautiously. 

With a sigh, she took a small sip, the liquor immediately burning her sinuses. Her nose scrunched up and she forced herself to swallow, quickly taking a sip of her own drink to wash the flavor away. A noise of disgust came out from her lips involuntarily and she heard laughter coming from the man beside her. “How the fuck do you drink this all the time?” 

“I suppose it’s an acquired taste.” He picked up the glass, examining the liquid, still laughing slightly. The sound warmed Y/N’s heart. She was slightly embarrassed by her reaction to the drink but she was glad that she had broken the silence. It seemed to break a wall down between them and opened the door to conversation. 

They chatted for the next few hours, about Y/N mostly. She was slightly afraid to ask about Tom’s life and got the sense that he didn’t really want to bring it up. He knew it could be off putting and didn’t want to scare her away.

As the club was winding down and the night was coming to an end, Tom grabbed one of Y/N’s hands and held it in his own. Right on cue, her heart started racing. “Darling, I have loved spending this evening with you,” Tom started, “but I would love it even more if I could take you somewhere else. Somewhere where you don’t work.” He looked into her eyes hopefully. 

Thoughts started racing through her head.  _ Oh, god. This is it. _ She cleared her throat. “Before I answer, I have a question for you. And please, don’t lie to me.” Tom’s smile dropped slightly and he nodded for her to continue. “Okay,” she breathed, “I hope I’m not out of line asking this but: have you ever killed anybody?”

He let out a slight chuckle. “What? Darling, no. No, I haven’t killed anybody.” 

“But, what about the whole mob thing?” she whispered. Tom started laughing harder, causing Y/N to smile. “Why are you laughing at me? I’m serious.” She hit his chest playfully. 

“I’m sorry, darling, it’s just so innocent.” He calmed himself down and looked her in the eyes again. “I promise, I can tell you more about that later, but for right now, just know that I haven’t killed anybody. So, will you please let me take you out?”

She bit her lip, still not totally convinced. He reached out, pushing some hair behind her ear before leaning in close, his breath hitting her neck as he spoke. “Please don’t make me beg, love. I’m dying to take you out. “

She took a breath, thinking over what the girls had told her a few days before. “Okay, I’ll go out with you.”

His face lit up in a smile. “Great. How about tomorrow? You don’t work, right?” He smirked.

“Right.” She said, making a face.

He laughed as he stood up from the booth, Y/N following in suit. “Great. I’ll pick you up at eight. Wear something nice.” He leaned forward, placing a kiss on her cheek, foregoing a wink as he left the club. 

Y/N walked to the bar where Jasmine and Lauren were watching with wide eyes. She cleared her throat. “Do either of you own something nice?” 


End file.
